Remedy
by TriforceandSheikahArts
Summary: After an encounter in the park, Kagome's life is turned upside down when famous singer, Ryuichi Sakuma, enters her life. With all the drama, paparazzi, and tabloids that accompany the star vocalist, will Kagome be able to handle it? Plus, combined with one unhappy NG President and vexed colleagues, and Kagome's life went from quiet to hectic in the blink of an eye.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer – **InuYasha is property of Rumiko Takahashi and Gravitation is property of Maki Murakami. All characters, setting, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I, TriforceandSheikahArts, merely wrote this story for amusement. I receive no profit from the creation of the story. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise relating to InuYasha and/or Gravitation. No copyright infringement is intended. The only thing I own is the right to my few characters who appear in this story.

**Author's Note –** Recently, I have gotten back into Gravitation and have become a bit addicted to InuYasha and Gravitation crossovers. A bit sad by the few stories posted in this section, I decided to give it a gander and write one of my own. I hope you enjoy the story, and do not mind the three OC's who will appear in this story.

**Pairing:** Ryuichi Sakuma x Kagome Higurashi (my favourite pairing)

* * *

**Remedy**

**Prologue**

* * *

After a long day in the office, Kagome was happy to be home. Sliding off her shoes and white lab coat, she trudged towards the kitchen and attempted to prepare something to eat. "Let's see, what should I make?" She opened the fridge and poked her head inside.

_I see that Marian restocked the fridge_, she beamed, thankful her housekeeper went grocery shopping. _Kami only knows I wouldn't have found enough time to head down there._ Kagome worked full-time at the local hospital; she was one of many elevated doctors in the pediatric department at Sakura General Hospital. It was a full time job, and Kagome regularly found herself coming home tired after a long day's work.

_It's so nice not to have to walk in those heels anymore... well, at least for today. _

A yogurt and apple in her hands, she shut the fridge and grabbed a spoon before heading towards the island counter and sitting down in the nearest barstool.

"Mmm…" she removed the yogurt's covering and inhaled a large amount of strawberry flavoured goodness. "My favourite~" Hearts hovered around her.

"Mommy, are you finally home?"

Kagome's head snapped up. "Yes Maddi, I'm home," she spoke softly. Watching her daughter stumble her way into the kitchen, Kagome couldn't help but chuckle as Maddi dragged her favourite brown bear, Mr. Bear, behind her.

"Where are Kiki and Coco?" Kagome voiced, stunned that the two dogs weren't loyally present behind their favourite person.

Maddi stopped before the stool. "Kiki's sleeping and Coco didn't want to come downstairs." Kiki, a white toy poodle, was one of two dogs Kagome and Maddi owned. Kiki was a relatively small dog who had loads of energy. In comparison, Coco, their white terrier, was a bit more reserved… to put it best, he was lazier than Kiki only by a smidge.

Occasionally, Kagome found the two dogs antics to be annoying. When they first got Kiki and Coco, the two dogs decided to explore their surroundings; however, in exploring, several documents Kagome needed for work and a pair of her favourite heels were torn and ripped to shreds. Kagome still mourned the loss of those shoes from time to time.

_They were so easy to walk in and didn't hurt after six hours of continuous wear,_ she thought to herself, already feeling water lining her eyes.

"Mommy, is something wrong?" Snapped out of her thoughts, Kagome looked down and saw that Maddi had climbed into her lap and was watching her curiously. Chuckling, she leaned down and ran her fingers through her long black locks.

Maddi giggled. "How was your day, Mommy?"

Kagome comically tapped her chin. "It was long, but turned out great."

Maddi looked intrigued. "Why?"

"Because," she leaned over, their foreheads touching, "I get to spend the evening with my favourite daughter."

"Mommy, I'm your only daughter~" Maddi blushed, leaning her head against Kagome's shoulder. Shutting her eyes, she murmured, "I love you."

Kagome softly stroked her back. "I love you, too, Maddi."

* * *

Early Saturday morning, Kagome was out of bed and ready for her morning run. Wearing her usual gear – a blue tank top and matching track pants – she had her music player and pedometer attached to her pants and began to jog on the spot. Thankful that few people were outside at such an hour, Kagome extended her arms forward and bent down, her hands touching the gravel pathway.

Breathe in, breathe out; she exhaled before returning to standing position. "Here we go." And she was off. Adjusting her ear buds to maximum volume, she sung along to the lyrics of "Sleepless Night," one of her favourite songs performed Nittle Grasper, Japan's most successful and famous band.

"_Tooku de me o hikarasete mezameru monotachi matte iru…"_ Running down the pathway, she could visualize the lead singer, Ryuichi Sakuma, performing the song on stage. Unbeknown to many, Kagome was an avid fan of Nittle Grasper. She had all their songs on her music player, and all the albums safely tucked away inside a drawer in her home office.

"_Yoru no jouheki sasowarete utsurisumu mure no nukegara ni…" _She never admitted to anyone that she liked the band. Given her position in the hospital and her stuck-up colleagues, most people in her department found the band to be childish—especially the lead singer.

"I don't understand why he carries that bunny around with him?"

"He's thirty one and still acts like a little kid."

"When will that boy grow up? He's not setting a good impression for anyone."

Whenever the band was brought up during work, she always heard similar comments directed towards the lead vocalist. Because of such, she never dared confess her true feelings about the band. Instead, she chose to remain silent and concentrate on her work rather than discuss or listen to them mock and criticize one of her favourite singers.

"_Deguchi no nai shougeki ni taeru tsumori nara… (Kuzureru hodo) itsuwari o misete…"_ Kagome was rounding the bend of the park still lost in thought. Eyes locked downward, she failed to notice a figure walking alone in the distance.

"_Umarekawareru anata yo hitori_—Ouch!" she and the person went down with a loud bang. Eyes swirling, Kagome slowly sat up, one of her ear buds falling out. "Watch where you're going!" she said and stood up. Dusting herself off, she noticed that the man's sunglasses and hat went flying during the collision.

Sighing, she bent down and scooped them up. "Here." She thrust them forward.

"Arigato!" a chirper voice spoke.

"Eh?" Looking up, Kagome saw a handsome young man flashing a brilliant smile. Jaw dropped, she pointed a finger accusingly in his direction. "Don't tell me, you're—"

"Ryuichi Sakuma," he spoke quietly, interrupting her. "It's nice to meet you…" he trailed off, unsure of her name.

Kagome gulped and said, "K-Kagome." She stuttered and paused the song before the chorus.

Ryuichi continued to smile. "That's a nice name, Kagome-chan."

Kagome felt her face drain. _Ryuichi Sakuma thinks I have a nice name!_ She thought gleefully. Suppressing the urge to squeal, Kagome cleared her throat and attempted to maintain some composure. After all, Ryuichi was most likely used to people overreacting around him. Kagome didn't want to come across as a usual fan girl like her two friends Eri and Yuka would had they been in her position.

"I, um, believe these are yours." Kagome still held the pair of sunglasses and hat in her hands.

"Ah!" He nodded and took them back. "Again, thank you for picking them up."

Kagome licked her lips and looked down, "You're welcome." She felt the tips of her ears beginning to turn red. Knowing she couldn't stay in front of the superstar for much longer without giggling, she politely excused herself.

"I'm sorry for, um, running into you before. I didn't mean it." With a nod of the head, she began to jog on the spot. "I will continue on with my run. I apologize for any inconveniences I may have caused." Without allowing the singer the chance to speak, Kagome took off down the pathway leaving a massive dust storm behind her.

Ryuichi walked the girl run off and blinked, stumped. Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked down towards the ground and noticed a small black wallet. Mouth opening, he bent down to retrieve the item and unzipped the front compartment. Pulling out the first piece of identification, Ryuichi read the following piece of information.

_Sakura General Hospital,_

_Kagome Higurashi,_

_Pediatric Department_

"Oh." Ryuichi looked up. "This seems very important. I had better return this to her."

* * *

**Author's Note -** To clear up any confusion, the ages are as followed.

Ryuichi – 31

Kagome – 29

Maddi – 7

Everyone else is his or her respected age. Also, Kagome still travelled back in time to Feudal Japan. I will explain more in the chapters to come. If I get three reviews for this story, I will post up another chapter tomorrow afternoon because I am super excited to continue writing this story.

Thank you for reading,

-TFSA

(July 31, 2013)


	2. Chapter 2

**Remedy**

**Chapter One**

* * *

Upon reaching home, Kagome dashed inside, kicked off her shoes and made her way upstairs. Stripping off her sweaty gear, she walked into the washroom and stepped inside the shower. Turning the water on, she sighed in contentment and began to lather her hair.

Back in her bedroom, she heard the cries of Kiki and Coco barking, along with their claws brushing against the front of the bathroom door.

_Thankfully, I locked the door,_ she realized, rinsing the substance out of her hair. A couple minutes later, she turned off the water and exited from the washroom, wearing a fluffy white robe and matching white slippers. Immediately, Kiki and Coco made a dash for their owner, barking gleefully while circling around her.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You two are happy." Kiki barked in agreement, and Coco yawned emitting an adorable sound. Giggling, she bent down and briefly stroked their fluffy tops before beginning to get dressed. Kagome slid on a comfortable pair of jeans and lose green shirt. Still wearing her slippers, she walked back into the bathroom and picked up her discarded clothes before tossing them in the hamper.

_Miriam will wash them later,_ she thought to herself. Exiting her bedroom, Kagome trudged downstairs, making her way into the kitchen. Grabbing an orange and a plate, she sat down at the table and started to peel the fruit. Loyally, Coco sat by her feet, whereas Kiki jumped onto the nearest seat, and stood tall, watching as Kagome ate the fruit, her tongue sticking out.

Noticing the onlooker, Kagome grinned, bemused. "You aren't getting any," she mumbled and shoved a larger portion of the fruit inside her mouth. Kiki visibly pouted, but continued to watch her owner eat.

Kagome kept silent, her gaze downcast when suddenly the phone rang. Getting up from her seat, she walked towards the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Kagome-chan, you've returned from your walk already?" Ayumi remarked. Along with Eri and Yuka, Ayumi was one of Kagome's closest friends from high school. However, Ayumi was much closer to Kagome than either Eri or Yuka because was much more mature and optimistic.

Kagome leaned back into her chair. "Hai, Ayumi-chan, I got back thirty minutes ago." She cringed as she recalled the reason for her sprinting the rest of the way home.

Ayumi noticed the change of tone in Kagome's voice. "Kagome-chan, is something wrong?" She asked, concerned.

_Always the perceptive one, aren't you, Ayumi-can?_ Kagome groaned.

"Nothing's wrong." Kagome waved her hands in protest. "I'm just tired from my run. I didn't stretch properly, and I think I might have pulled something." Kagome hated lying, but felt that if she told Ayumi her story she might not believe her.

"You should ice the pulled ligament," Ayumi advised in a motherly tone. "I'm no doctor, but you should know best about these sorts of things, Kagome-chan." She chuckled at the irony of her past sentence. "I hope you feel better soon. So, how's Maddi?"

Kagome twirled the phone's cord between her fingers. "She's fine. She's been pretty busy these days practising for her upcoming recital." Maddi was an avid violinist. Kagome had purchased her a small violin two years ago when Maddi came up to her one evening and said she wanted to learn.

"I'm sure she'll do wonderful in her recital." Ayumi beamed. "You have an extra ticket, right?"

Kagome chuckled. "I have two extra tickets."

"Wonderful," Ayumi grinned. The duo continued to talk for another couple minutes before hanging up. Again, Ayumi advised that Kagome be careful and try not to place too much strain on her pulled muscle. Kagome listened to all the girl's instructions, and thanked her properly before hanging up.

With a groan, she collapsed back into the chair. "Kami!" she hissed to herself. Coco looked up the ground and blinked. Kiki scrambled towards her, and jumped onto Kagome's lap. Kagome heaved a sigh and stroked Kiki's side, looking out towards the window.

_"That's a nice name, Kagome-chan."_

Kagome groaned loudly and buried her face in Kiki's soft fur.

_"Arigato!"_

_"Again, thank you for picking them up."_

_"That's a nice name, Kagome-chan."_

"Ah! I was such a dork!" She shook her head violently causing Kiki to jump and scamper away.

"Ugg!" she leaned down and banked her head against the table. Ignoring the pain, Kagome continued to recall the encounter and couldn't stop herself from shedding tears of agony. "He must've thought that I was such an idiot!" Normally, Kagome knew how to maintain herself because of her work and past; but when it came to the famous singer, all that composure vanished into the atmosphere and left without a trace.

Looking down towards the table, Kagome banged a fist over the wood, hissing, "How could I have been so stupid?"

* * *

"K-san, might you drive me to the hospital?" Ryuichi asked innocently, poking his side. K jumped up and surveyed Ryuichi frantically.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" His hand instinctively went for his gun. If anything happened to Ryuichi, Tohma would have his head.

"No~" Ryuichi laughed, clutching Kumagoro, his stuffed rabbit, in his arms. "I just need to return something to Kagome-chan."

K blinked, stumped. "Kagome-chan?" he repeated, confused.

"Hai!" he dug into his pocket and withdrew a black wallet. K watched him unzip the first compartment and withdraw a plastic card. "Here!" K took the identification and briefly read over the information. "I think she needs it, na no da! Kuma-chan agrees too." Ryuichi explained.

K rubbed his chin. "How did you obtain this, Ryuichi?" He eyed the singer skeptically.

"When I went for a walk, I ran into a pretty girl," he explained. "She was running, and helped me pick up my stuff. She was also singing my song… she has a very pretty voice, na no da."

K sweat dropped. "And when you ran into her, this fell from her pocket?" Ryuichi nodded. K visibly groaned and looked towards the wall. Afterwards he said, "Ryuichi, let me see the wallet."

"Why?" The singer asked.

K explained, "I want to see if there are other pieces of identification." If this Kagome Higurashi really were a doctor, surely there would be other pieces of identification in her wallet. K didn't feel completely content with the idea of driving Ryuichi to the hospital to return the wallet to the girl—for all they knew, the girl could have planned up a scheme to meet and kidnap Ryuichi. The concept may seem farfetched, but after spending more than twelve years in the music industry, K knew the insides and outs of what fans may have planned to meet any famous individual.

Ryuichi handed him the wallet, pouting, "Fine."

K clutched the wallet and unzipped the front compartment, inside was a small amount of plastic cards. He pulled out each one and saw that they consisted of credits cards, a library card, health card and driver's license. Removing the health card and driver's license, K's eyes scanned over the cards. So far, the information matched up.

He spoke. "Ryuichi, if you want, we head to the hospital and return this—" Ryuichi tackled K to the ground, squealing with joy.

"Yay!"

* * *

Wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap and blue jacket, Ryuichi entered the hospital, his hands shoved in his pockets. K followed behind and directed the singer towards the front desk. They inquired about Kagome's department, and a secretary pointed them in the right direction.

"Third floor, east wing, room number 320," K spoke as the duo stood in the elevator. "That's where she said Higurashi's office was." The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Ryuichi was the first to run out, making a dash for the east wing. K shouted for him to stop, but Ryuichi wouldn't listen.

_I need to return this to her,_ he thought to himself, dashing down the hallway. Noticing the sign that hung above the doorway 'Pediatric department,' he grinned and pushed open the doors. Several doctors and patients that were amidst the hallway talking and chatting looked up, startled. Ryuichi flashed them a heartfelt grin and slowly walked down the hallway, searching for Kagome's office number.

Eyeing the area slowly, he felt shivers run down his spine when he watched a nurse wheel a sickly child down the hall. The girl looked to be no more than ten, and had various tubes connected to her body. When the girl looked up and locked gazes with Ryuichi, he offered her a small smile causing her eyes to sparkle.

"Hello," the nurse greeted, wheeling her past him. Ryuichi walked them disappear down the hallway until he could no longer see the girl or the nurse. Frowning, he removed his hands from his pockets and leaned against the nearest wall in silence.

"That should be all for today, Mina-chan." A voice spoke, catching his attention. Turning around Ryuichi watched as Kagome emerged from a nearby door, clutching a clipboard. She sported a white doctor's coat and had her hair tied back in a tight bun.

Ryuichi advanced. "Kagome-chan!" he greeted happily.

Kagome looked up from her clipboard, startled. "S-Sakuma-san," she stuttered. "Is that you?"

Ryuichi nodded. "I'm so happy I found you."

Flustered, Kagome backed away. "W-what are you doing here?" Better yet, how did the singer knew she worked here? She never told him her last name, so the odds of him finding her were slim to none.

Grinning, Ryuichi withdrew a small wallet from the back of his pocket. Kagome's eyes widened immediately; she knew that wallet. "That's mine," she whispered.

"Hai," he nodded, grinning. "When we bumped into each other at the park yesterday, this fell out of your pocket." Kagome fingered the wallet. "I wanted to return it to you because it has lots of important stuff in there."

_I never realized that I had dropped it,_ Kagome thought to herself. Marian had dropped her off this morning because Maddi had her violin lessons not too far from the hospital. _If he hadn't come here and returned it to me, I may not have noticed I lost it until much later._

"Sakuma-san," Kagome sniffled. The singer was quite kind, even after Kagome treated him rudely in the park. "Thank you very much." She briefly bowed. "I truly appreciate this." She looked up and saw that Ryuichi was watching her.

"You're welcome," he replied. "It seemed very important, na no da." Kagome could not stop herself from smiling because of how endearing he sounded.

"Hai, its very important." She answered.

Ryuichi took a step closer. "Kagome-chan, can we talk for a minute in private?"

Kagome felt her knees quiver. Ryuichi wanted to have a private conversation… with her?

"Um, alright," she gulped. "I-I'm scheduled to have a break soon anyway."

"Yay!" he beamed. "Let's go!" Before Kagome had the chance to deposit her clipboard, he was dragging her down the hallway towards the other set of elevators.

* * *

Ryuichi and Kagome sat outside the hospital in the small garden that surrounded the structure. Few people were outside, except for those smoking or enjoying a few quiet minutes outside before returning to work. Kagome had taken the liberty of removing her doctor's coat and kept it folded neatly in her lap.

"Was there something you wished to discuss?" She asked, trying not to let her voice crack.

Ryuichi gazed towards the building with a frown. "Is it always so sad in there?"

"Pardon?" she didn't understand what he meant.

Ryuichi looked her way. "Kagome-chan, is the hospital always so sad and gloomy?"

Her eyebrows rose. "Define gloomy." Everyone had his or her own perspective on how the hospital felt. To many, it was merely a place to come when someone was ill. For others, it was a place of work… but to Ryuichi; well, Kagome didn't know how to describe it.

"When I was looking for you, I saw a little girl being wheeled down the hallway by a nurse," he explained, his gaze downcast. "She had so many tubes attached to her body. She looked so sad." Soothingly, Kagome leaned over and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and blinked.

"Sakuma-san, there's no reason to feel sad," Kagome informed him. "That little girl along with other patients are here at the hospital to try to get better. Those tubes attached to her were most likely there to help her breathe." Based on his explanation, Kagome had a fair idea of whom the singer might be referring to. "Don't worry." She squeezed his shoulder. "She'll be fine."

"You're positive?"

Kagome clicked her tongue and sucked in a breath. "… I promise."

Feeling happier, he sat up properly and turned to the side. Kagome flushed upon noticing how close they were. "Kagome-chan, you work in the pediatric department, no?" He asked. She nodded. He continued. "Would it be okay if I came back here soon to try to cheer up the kids?" He looked so hopeful, Kagome couldn't deny him.

"What would you like to do?" She asked.

Ryuichi rubbed his chin. He hadn't thought of that yet. "Hmm…"

Giggling, Kagome reached inside her pocket. "Here, this is my card. When you've decided what you want to do for the children, you can give me a call."

He accepted the small business card. "Thank you."

She shook her head, "No, thank you, Sakuma-san."

"Eh?"

She chuckled. He was so nice and sweet. "Thank you for being so considerate," she explained, smiling widely. "Most people usually don't want to do much for the children here."

His eyes widened, "Why not?" Shouldn't these people be trying their hardest to make the children smile and laugh? Even if they were sick, if they were happy that might make the situation a bit easier to handle.

Kagome's eyes darkened. "Let's just say that most here prefer to keep the area professional." She rolled her eyes at the thought. "That's the best way to put it."

"Hmm…" he grumbled. "That's not fair."

"That's life," she retorted.

Frowning, Ryuichi heard his cell phone ring and looked down at the caller; it was Tohma. Bringing the phone to his ear, he greeted his friend pleasantly, "Tohma-kun!"

"Where are you?" Tohma inquired.

Ryuichi pouted, "At the hospital with K-san." Ryuichi was positive that K had already informed Tohma of the situation.

Tohma sighed. "I want you both to return immediately. We need to continue recording."

"I don't want to!" Ryuichi whined. He wanted to stay here and continue talking to Kagome.

"Be back in less than an hour," Tohma instructed before hanging up. Pout worsening, the vocalist shut his phone and shoved it in his pocket. Regretfully, he stood up.

"I need to get going," he informed her.

Kagome smiled and shrugged on her jacket. "That's fine. I need to get back to work anyway."

"Hold on." Ryuichi grabbed her hand. "Let me give you something."

"Hmm?" she titled her head to the side. This time, Ryuichi pulled out a small slip of paper and handed it to her. She accepted it and unfolded the note; it had a number sprawled out in pink pen.

_Is this what I think it is?_ She thought in disbelief, her ears turning red.

"That's my personal cell phone number," he explained briefly. "I'm going to call you later-on tonight to plan out something we can do for the kids in the hospital." He started to smile. "I might not call until late though."

"That's fine," she murmured.

"Great." He beamed.

"Oii, Ryuichi, let's get going!" K called from further away, waving his hands. Ryuichi saw him and waved in response.

"Talk to you tonight, Kagome-chan," he chuckled and drew her into a hug. Turning a lovely shade of cheery red, Kagome shyly returned the hug, enjoying the feeling of her favourite singer hugging her tight. "I'm just sure we'll come up with something great." He spoke and glumly withdrew from the hug. Kagome tried her best to remain upbeat and positive, though she, too, was sad that the hug had ended so soon.

"That sounds great," she gulped.

* * *

**Author's Note -** Here is the second chapter. In the next chapter, Ryuichi will have the pleasure of learning… well, talking to Maddi. That should be fun. Plus, more information on Maddi and Kagome's background will be provided in the next chapter. Most of your questions about Maddi should be answered then. I'll be either aiming to post up the next chapter sometime tonight or tomorrow evening. (If you keep reviewing as much as you did for the first chapter, I might consider posting up the next chapter tonight rather than tomorrow. ;3)

Thank you everyone for the reviews, favourites and alerts. I'm happy to know that others enjoy Gravitation and InuYasha crossovers as much as I do.

Until the next chapter,

-TFSA

P.S, If anyone has any suggestions for how I could improve the story summary - I don't like it too much - feel free to suggest anything. :)

(July 31, 2013)


	3. Chapter 3

**Remedy**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

"That was fantastic, Maddi. You'll do wonderful in the recital." Kagome informed her daughter as she continued to shower her with praise. "Everyday you get better and better."

Maddi set her violin and bow down on the table. Blushing, she moved towards her mother and sat on her lap. Leaning her head against her mother's she whispered, "Thanks, Mommy."

Kagome ran her fingers through her hair. "Do you want me to keep watching you practice?" The two were seated inside the house's drawing room where they normally entertained guests. It also happened to be Maddi's preferred spot for practicing.

Maddi shook her head. "Mommy's had a long day at work. You relax, and I'll keep practicing."

Kagome arched a brow. "If that's what you want."

Maddi nodded. "I want to practice more and then perform for you." Performing in front of her mother was something she always enjoyed. Because her mother was willing to sit and listen to her play for hours, Maddi wanted her next performance to be her best one yet.

Kagome noticed the serious look on Maddi's face. "I think I'll go take a bath," she decided, letting Maddi climb off her lap. "When I'm done, I'll come back and listen to you play."

"That sounds good." She agreed, already reaching for her violin.

Kagome cracked a grin. "I'll be back soon." She left the room, leaving her coat and small briefcase off to the side. Maddi watched her walk upstairs and listened to her footsteps before she could hear them no longer. Waiting several minutes until she was sure her mother was out of earshot, Maddi began to play.

* * *

Maddi didn't know how much time had passed as she continued to practice. _Because Mommy hasn't come downstairs, I think I have enough time to perfect one part of the song,_ she thought joyfully. Previously, her instructor, Mrs. Dubois, recommended that she perform the piece at her recital several weeks ago. Hesitant, Maddi still wasn't sure if she could handle the song. She wasn't the most confident around Mrs. Dubois—the woman was so scary she could probably make infants cry!—and Maddi found the song hard to play. She constantly struggled near the middle.

_If it weren't for Mommy's encouraging words, I'd have given up a long time ago_, she deduced. Unlike Mrs. Dubois, Kagome never shouted or scolded Maddi when she messed up. While her Mother was no violinist, anyone could tell when a song sounded off or the tune was not right.

"I need to keep practicing," Maddi grumbled. Violin tucked under her chin, she raised her bow and prepared to begin playing when suddenly she heard the phone ring. Confused, she set down her instrument and inched closer towards the sound; it was coming from her mother's jacket.

Maddi blinked and reached inside the first pocket. Eyes widening, she recognized the phone.

_This is Mommy's work phone,_ she thought nervously, sucking her bottom lip. _Should I go get Mommy?_ She glanced towards the stairwell; there were no signs of her mother. Her fear worsened. _It might be an important call._

Maddi sucked in a breath, opened the phone and brought the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"

"Is this Kagome-chan?" A voice asked hesitantly.

"Huh?" Kagome-chan? Why would anyone calling her mother ask to speak to her so informally? Normally strangers always addressed her mother by her last name.

_Maybe it is a friend of Mommy's._

She licked her lips. "Um, she can't come to the phone right now. Can I take a message?"

"Oh." The person paused. "Are you her daughter?"

Maddi grinned. "Hai, I'm Maddi Higurashi. It's nice to meet you."

The person chuckled. "I'm Ryu. It's nice to meet you, Maddi-chan… You know," he spoke slowly, "Kagome-chan never mentioned she had a daughter."

Maddi grinned. "Mommy never mentioned she had a friend by the name of Ryu-san."

Ryu laughed. "You're funny, Maddi-chan."

The violinist felt her ears darken. "A-Arigato," she mumbled shyly.

"If Kagome-chan is busy right now, can you tell her to call me back?" Ryu politely inquired. Maddi beamed and responded. She could imagine Ryu smiling as he said, "Arigato, Maddi-chan, I really appreciate it."

Curious, she boldly stated. "Can I know your full name?"

Ryu hesitated. "Why?"

Maddi shrugged. "Mommy might want to know." A logical excuse, she thought, smiling.

Ryu clicked his tongue. "When you tell your mother I called, she'll know who it is."

Pouting, she whined. "You're no fun, Ryu-san."

"Eh! I can be fun, Maddi-chan; na no da!" He protested.

Na no da? Why did that sound familiar?

"I don't believe you."

Ryu decided to change the topic. He didn't want to get into an argument with Kagome's daughter. "Nee, Maddi-chan, how old are you?"

Maddi beamed and answered proudly. "I'm seven."

"Seven?" He gushed, astonished. "Wow, you must be a big girl then, huh?"

A big girl? She blushed. No one besides her mother or Marian ever called her a big girl. "Y-Yes," she stuttered. "I am a big girl." Ryu laughed and continued to converse with Maddi. For the next half hour, the two chatted. Although Ryu dominated most of the conversation, Maddi answered all his questions gleefully and without hesitation. The little violinist didn't know how much time had passed until she felt Kagome lift her up and plunk her down in her lap.

"Mama!" she squeaked. "I'm talking to Ryu-san!"

Kagome furrowed her brows. Ryu-san? Could her daughter be referring to Ryuichi Sakuma? Interested, she cleared her throat. "Maddi, may I talk to Ryu-san?"

Maddi frowned but complied. "Ryu-san, Mommy will talk to you now."

Ryu, too, sounded sad. "Maddi-chan, it was fun talking to you. I hope we can talk again soon."

"Yeah… me too," she mumbled and handed her mother the phone.

Kagome thanked her daughter and brought the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello Kagome-chan," Ryuichi spoke softly. Kagome felt her insides melt.

"Have y-you decided what you would like to do?" Kagome cursed herself for stuttering. More than anything, she wanted to have a conversation with the vocalist where she didn't stutter at all.

"Yes, I think I have an idea."

Kagome blushed. "Well, I would love to hear it."

As her mother conversed with Ryu-san, Maddi slid off her lap and began to put her instrument away. Shutting the case with a soft thud, she noticed the way her mother stumbled with her words. It puzzled Maddi, and had her wondering why she was behaving like that. Normally, Kagome sounded highly composed and sure of herself over the telephone. After all, she had to present herself in such a manner to the other staff members and her clients. Though she was working in a hospital, it was still a business, and she had to maintain a certain image.

_Does Mommy like Ryu-san_? Maddi cocked her head to the side before skipping out of the room. _I had better give Mommy some privacy. _Whenever she talked with people over the phone, Maddi knew better than to eavesdrop. Even if she wanted to know what her mother was talking about with Ryu-san, it was better to let her mother tell her when she was off the phone.

Kagome watched Maddi skip towards the kitchen. When she was out of earshot, she heard Ryuichi say, "Kagome-chan, you never mentioned you had a daughter."

She licked her lips. "Ryuichi-san, it's a bit hard to explain."

"Eh?"

Kagome suppressed her giggles. "Ryuichi-san, I'll say it simply. Biologically speaking, Maddi is not my daughter."

Ryuichi paused for a minute, absorbing the newfound information. "… Are you saying that Maddi-chan was adopted?"

Kagome sighed, "Hai, Ryuichi-san that is correct."

"Oh." She could picture his befuddled expression. Nervously, she fiddled with the strings of her pyjama pants, awaiting his answer.

"Well, can I still meet Maddi-chan?"

Kagome's jaw dropped. "Ryuichi-san, you want to meet Maddi?"

"Hai!" he shouted energetically. "She sounds too cute! We had lots of fun talking, and she told me lots of neat stuff about her bear, her nanny, and your two doggies."

Kagome couldn't help but smile. _If only Maddi knew whom she had been talking to,_ she realized with a faint chuckle. Similar to her mother, Maddi was also a fan of the famous band. However, unlike her mother, her favourite member was not the lead vocalist but rather the sole female member: Noriko Ukai.

"Kagome-chan, when can I meet Maddi-chan?"

Shivers ran down Kagome's spine. Ryuichi was dead serious on wanting to meet her daughter. "Ano… I suppose the best time would be towards the end of the week," she spoke softly.

"You both are busy until then?" He pouted. "Aw, I was hoping for something sooner."

"Ryuichi-san, I'm busy with work, and Maddi has school." Along with violin practice, tutoring and swimming classes, Kagome added on.

"I understand," the singer complied. "You and Maddi-chan have your own lives. I respect that, but I really want to meet her, and see you again." Kagome was thankful they weren't having this conversation in person. If Sakuma-san were to see her overly red face and the way she continually trembled when hearing his perfect voice speak, she might die of embarrassment.

"P-Perhaps this coming Friday evening?" she suggested shyly. "I get off work early on Fridays."

"This coming Friday?"

She held her breath. _He probably has something better to do_, she realized sadly.

"Um, yes?" she squeaked.

Ryuichi laughed, much to her surprise. "That sounds great, Kagome-chan. I'll look forward to it." Another pause; she heard a lot of shuffling going on about in the background. "Kagome-chan, can I have your address? I'll need it if I'm going to stop by this Friday night."

_Oh my goodness…_

Her bottom legs quivered as she told him the address. As well as supplying him with the main intersections located near her home, Kagome had to sit down and fan herself with her hand in an attempt to remain calm.

_Keep it together, its just another person… another person by the name of Ryuichi Sakuma!_

"Arigato, Kagome-chan, I can't wait to see you and Maddi-chan Friday night. See you then."

"Ja ne, Ryuichi-san, and good night," she said before hanging up. Letting it fall onto her lap, Kagome gazed up towards the ceiling and exhaled a loud, relieved sigh.

"Mommy, are you done talking?" Maddi poked her head inside the drawing room, watching her mother from the across the way.

"Hai, I'm done." Kagome whispered, ushering her daughter forward. Maddi scrambled towards her, and dove for her mother's lap. Clambering her way into a comfortable sitting position, Maddi leaned her head against Kagome's shoulder.

"Mommy, what did Ryu-san want?"

Kagome shut her eyes. "Ryu-san… is a new friend of mine. He wanted to talk to me about something important. That discussion will be continued this coming Friday evening."

"Oh?" Maddi sat up straight. "Does this mean that I'll be able to meet Ryu-san?" Without even looking her way, Kagome knew her daughter was excited by the prospect of meeting him.

_She has not seen him face-to-face, and already she's excited._ Kagome grimaced.

"Hai, sweetie, you'll be able to meet him."

Maddi smiled widely before burying her face into her mother's shoulder. "Yay," she whispered.

Kagome rolled her eyes and shifted in her seat. "Maddi, I haven't heard you play since I went upstairs to shower. Might I hear how the song is coming along?"

"Of course, Mommy," Maddi laughed, sliding off her lap. Watching her daughter assemble her instrument and sheet music, Kagome felt a wave of calmness and serenity wash over her.

Too bad, it wouldn't last for much longer.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I am sorry for the delay, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter nonetheless. About Maddi being adopted, that will be explained in the chapters to come—so please no questions about that. Trust me when I say I know what I'm doing. I will have another chapter up soon since I am looking forward to writing about Maddi and Ryuichi's first interaction; not to mention the reactions that some of Ryu's coworkers will have when learning about Kagome and Maddi. *Laughs to myself*

Thank you for reading everyone. I would love to hear your opinions.

-TFSA

(August 26, 2013)


	4. AN: Please read Story NOT for adoption

Hi everyone,

Yeah, this is probably not what you were expecting. I merely wanted to apologize for the obvious delay in posting new chapters. I would have liked to have gotten at least 1-2 chapters posted by now, but school is literally my entire life right now... too much work and so many readings to catch up on... as I write this, I am still behind in at least 1-2 weeks in readings for some of my courses. I will be aiming to post up a couple of chapters in December, and I can only hope that you all can be patient until then. I will attempt to make the chapters longer than usual to make up for the serious lack of updates. Again guys, I'm sorry, but as we all know real life comes first and fanfictions come second (sadly).

Thank you for reading this message. And don't worry, these stories will NOT be posted up for adoption. I will continue them, even if it takes a while.

-TFSA


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